A Proposal In Math Class
by Piper Emerald
Summary: High School AU. Light should have known that math class was not the best time to ask L out to the school dance. In his defense, asking someone out on a date was the one valid excuse their teacher gave for a student talking in the middle of class. When L rejects Light's offer, Light becomes determined to win the boy over. (I own nothing.)


Light wasn't entirely sure who had made the decision to hire Touta Matsuda as a math teacher. It wasn't that Light thought Matsuda was a bad teacher necessarily, after all he was used to being smarter than most of the people who were supposed to teach him. Yet, after Matsuda's little speech on the first day of class, Light found it hard to take him seriously.

"Okay, so please don't talk during the lectures, unless you're asking someone out." Matsuda had said. "I don't want to ruin anyone's moment, I get a lot interruptions when the school dance is coming up. But please keep any other outbursts to a minimum, or else I'd have to report you to the dean, and you really don't want to talk to him when he's in a bad mood. Don't tell him I said that! That's all of my rules, so let's have a great year!"

* * *

The school dance was a day away, and Light had yet to acquire a date. Maybe that wasn't the most romantic way to phrase asking one of his classmates out, but Light didn't see the need in over romanticizing high school. The problem was that there were only a few people going to Light's school that he could actually stand to be around for longer than what the school day entailed. He considered asking Misa or Takada, but going with a girl may counter act the statement he was trying to make to his family who still did not understand what coming out meant. Light needed to go with a guy who he would enjoy spending the night with. There was only one person who fit this description.

Light spent the first few minutes of math class silently doing his work, before directing his attention to the boy sitting next to him.

"L, will you go with me to the school dance?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"No," L didn't glance up from the paper in front of him. "What did you get for problem 5?"

"What?" Light told himself that he must have misheard the other boy.

"Problem 5," L repeated. "What was your answer?"

"Wait," Light blinked. "What?"

"I asked what your answer was for problem 5," L gave Light an annoyed look. "It's not a difficult concept to grasp."

"No—I—" Light stammered. "What did you just say?"

"Radical 3 over 7," L murmured as he peered over Light's paper. "Yes I got the same thing."

"No!" Light shook his head in confused exasperation. "What did you just say?"

"Ah, you must be referring to my response to you asking me out," L concluded dryly. "I said no."

"Why?"

"Are you really that self centered that you do not grasp the concept of rejection?" L drawled.

"Me asking why you said no does not make me self centered!" Light blurted defensively.

"The fact that you're asking me in class doesn't exactly help your chances either," L added with a slight smirk.

 _He think this is funny,_ Light realized. _Damn it._

"So would you say yes if I asked you out side of class?" Light reasoned.

"I'd consider it," L drawled.

"Consider it?" Light repeated dumbly.

"But I already said no," L reminded him.

"But if I ask you outside of class will you say no?" Light tried to sort out what the other boy meant.

"I can't answer for future me!" L exclaimed with a serious expression.

"Can whoever is talking please quiet down now?" Matsuda interrupted the conversation in a tone that was as close to authoritative as the teacher could muster. "I'm trying to teach."

"But it's okay!" Misa told him loudly, in her best attempt to be helpful. "Light was just asking L to the school dance, and you said that we were aloud to ask people out during class."

All eyes turned to Light and L.

"Oh, I got it," Matsuda awkwardly wink at the pair of them.

"Well, I already turned Light down so he can stop talking to me now," L announced, his voice even louder than Misa's.

"My life is over." Light wished this was true, for if it was possible to die of embarrassment he would be on the floor that second.

"Now you're talking rejection too far," L informed him in a monotone.

Light did his best to ignore the mix of snickers and sympathetic looks he was receiving from his classmates. Despite his aggravation, he could feel determination growing inside of him.

* * *

Light waited until lunch before he tried again. L and his group of odd friends sat at a secluded table, but Light didn't mind having to walked to them. He did realized that half of the cafeteria was watching him, and took this to mean that word of what had happened in math class had already spread. It was possible that his reputation was being damaged by the fact that a social outcast had turned him down, but Light chose not to dwell on that. As long as he won L over in the end, no one would remember or care about his embarrassment.

"L will you go to the school dance with me?" Light stood in front of the table when he asked this.

"No," L glanced up front the cake he was eating to answer.

"Why not?" Light asked in mild aggravation.

One of L's friends took this moment to burst into a very girly giggle. Light tried to pay the redheaded boy no heed, but he knew that this boy was not the only one laughing at him.

"Dude you're ruining this!" Mello, another one of L's friend's, exclaimed to the redhead. The blonde crossed his arms and shot Light a cold glare. The blonde was clearly loving the situation. "The man said no."

"Yeah, I got that," Light muttered.

"Then why are you still standing there?" Mello challenged with a smirk.

"I have no idea," Light confessed, for a moment his gaze rested back on L who was portraying no emotion.

"Yeah!" The redhead pipped up. "Why I are you still standing there?"

"Dude you're still ruining this!" Mello groaned.

Light turned his back on the oddballs, ready to walk away from the conversation that he realized was no going to end in his favor.

"Bye, Light!" L called back at him in a confusingly cheerful voice.

"I don't understand you," Light hissed in exasperation.

"I know," L shouted back, a smile plastered on his face.

"You heard me?" Light stopped and turned to face L in surprise.

"Why are you still talking to him?" Mello demanded, clearly still enjoying Light's rejection.

"I'm not," Light bitterly replied, turning his back once again.

"Take that Yagami!" He heard the redhead call behind him.

"It's impossible for you not to ruin this, isn't it?" Mello's dramatic sigh was loud enough to also reach Light's ears.

"Yup," the redhead sounded very pleased with himself.

"At least someone's happy," Light mumbled to himself with sarcasm.

Light was too busy fuming to notice fondly L smiling as he watched the boy retreat across the cafeteria.

* * *

By the end of the school day, Light was fed up. However, although he knew most people didn't recognize this, but he had always been more stubborn than prideful. The more L rejected him, the more Light wanted to win the other boy over. Light wanted to win. The fact that he was also curious as to why L didn't want him in the first place didn't influence him to give up either.

"L, can I talk to you alone for a second?" Light had to jog to catch up to the boy as he and the same group of friends were headed off campus.

"No."

"No I can't talk to you?" Light quickened his pace so that he was now standing in front of L and blocking his way.

"No," L stopped walking. "I will not go to the dance with you."

"You didn't even give me the chance to ask!" Light complained.

"I know," L smirked, stepping around Light and continuing walking. "I'll see you in math class."

* * *

"Why the fuck won't you do to the school dance with me?" Light didn't care that he was shouting in the middle of class and that everyone was staring at him.

"Light," Matsuda sheepishly interrupted his student's outburst. "I'm going to have to ask you to go talk to the dean."

"That's not fair!" Light argued. He angrily pointed to L. "I'm asking L out. You said that we can talk in class if we're asking someone out!"

"Yes, but you're shouting an swearing," his teacher pointed out.

"Not to mention that I said no to you three times already," L added softly. "I'd prefer it if you just left me alone at this point."

"Maybe if you told me why you keep saying no I'll stop bothering you about it," Light countered.

"Is it that difficult for you to comprehend that I might not like you?" Only now did L raise his voice.

"It won't be if you tell me why you don't like me!" Light yelled.

"Will you take the fact that you're shouting at me as an answer?" L asked in exasperation.

"You're shouting too!" Light exclaimed.

Light found both himself and L sitting in the dean's office two minutes later. Maybe this situation would have been a little less unbearable if this wasn't the first time that Light had ever been sent to the dean. Perhaps, he wouldn't feel like he was dying of embarrassment if there was a way for him to explain what had happened without sounding like a spoiled twit. And, of course, the worse part of all of this was that Light's father was their grade's dean.

"Why are you two here?" Soichiro asked with a tired, and ever so slightly curious, expression.

"Your son—" L started.

"Don't refer to me like that," Light cut him off angrily.

"But you are his son," L pointed out in his defense.

"But it's unprofessional," Light huffed.

"Fine then," L cleared his throat. "Yagami Light-san asked me out and I turned him down so he screamed at me."

"That is not what happened!" Light argued.

"It's an abridged version," L said. "You would like me to tell the full story?"

"No," Light's narrowed his eyes. "But I would like you to include the part where you were also shouting."

" _I_ was using an outdoor voice, _you_ were yelling," L declared with indigence.

"Light, you shouldn't have been having this conversation in the classroom to begin with," Soichiro chided him. "Either the two of you go back the class with the promise of settling this later, or you can go to the school counselor and talk through the problem with her."

"We'll be good!" L sprang to his feet.

"Yeah," Light muttered and rolled his eyes at L's enthusiasm.

* * *

"Hey, Light?" Misa timidly approached Light at the end of the day.

"Yeah?" Light looked up from the math homework he had planned to go over before leaving school for the day.

"Um, I was kinda wondering," she nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you still not have a date for the dance tonight?"

"Well, not exactly," Light confessed with a frustrated sigh. "But there's someone I'm hoping to go with."

"Didn't L turn you down like three times?" She bluntly asked.

"Four times, actually," Light muttered, not thankful for the reminder.

"If he doesn't like you why do you keep asking him?" She wondered.

"Honestly, I don't really know," Light admitted, repressing the urge to groan at the situation he had placed himself in.

"Oh. My. God." Misa gasped, staring at Light like he had just told her the meaning of life.

"What?"

"You're in love with him!" She squealed.

"What? No I'm not!" Light could feel his face turning red as he insisted this. "I'm just too suborn to take no for an answer."

"Yes you are!" Delight filled Misa's voice. "You're too _in love_ to take no for an answer!"

"I am not!" Light sputtered, trying desperately to think up a better argument.

"You're in denial!" she giggled. "This is so cute!"

"Fine," Light gave up. Mentally convincing himself that he didn't mind if Misa knew this. "Maybe I like him. Just please don't say that out loud."

"Of course!" She winked at him. "I'll keep it hush hush until you tell him how you feel."

"I'm not going to—" Light froze in realization. "Misa, I have to go."

"But we were talking!" she protested with a huff.

"I mean I have to go talk to a boy," he pressed.

"Oh!" She grinned and winked again. "Okay, good luck!"

* * *

"I don't remember telling you where I live," L drawled as he opened to door to find Light standing on his porch.

"I followed you home," Light wasn't sure where the answer came from.

"Really?" L asked dryly, not sounding the least bit uncomfortable.

"No," Light laughed nervously. "I asked Takada, she said she did a group project with you a few weeks ago."

"I regretted working here instead of her house," L commented. "My answer hasn't changed."

"Hear me out this time," Light pleaded.

"I'd prefer not to," L informed him. "The last time we had this conversation you started yelling at me."

"I'm sorry about that," Light said with honest regret. "I promise I won't shout this time."

"Fine," L complied after a second of hesitation. "Say what you have to say."

"Okay," Light anxiously ran a hand through his hair, suddenly and painfully at a loss for words. "Um, well—The thing is."

"I'm going back inside," L announced.

"Wait!" Light jumped forward and grabbed L by the arm before the boy could retreat back into his house. "I'm a jerk."

These words stopped L more than Light's grasp could. The boy turned around and look at him expectantly. Light took this as his cue to keep talking.

"I'm a really, really big jerk," he stated.

"Is this supposed to convince me?" L asked in a monotone.

"But," Light gave another nervous laugh as he continued. "I like you."

"Light—"

"I mean it," Light said before L could argue further. "And I'm sorry that I asked you out for the wrong reasons, and then kept asking you out at all the wrong times."

"Light—"

"I admire you," he smiled. "And, well, of course I'm attracted to you. I understand that you said no to me five times already, but was hoping that you'd reconsider and come to the dance with me. I just want to hang out with you for the night."

"Light," L placed his hand on Light shoulder to silence him.

"Yeah?" Light stopped talking.

"I can't," L stated.

"Oh," Light ran a hand through his hair again, ignoring the heat in his cheeks and the sinking in his chest. "That's fair. I mean, I probably deserve that after the screaming and everything. I'll see you at school."

Light turned to walk away, trying his hardest to keep a neutral facade. He wasn't sure why he had expected L to react any differently. After all, Light being sincere now didn't make up for how rude he had been earlier. Then there was always the chance that L might not actually be interested in him.

"Light, wait!" L shouted, catching Light's arm before he could make it half way through L's lawn

"What?" Light spun around in confusion.

"I—" L stammered. "I don't want to go to the dance."

"I get it," Light tried hard not to snap.

"No," L shook his head furiously. "What I'm trying to say is it doesn't matter who asks me. I don't want to go."

"What?"

"If I had a penny for every time you said that word to me," L chuckled before continuing. "I don't like school dances. It's loud and crowded and our peers stare and poke fun at me even more than they do on a regular basis. Not to mention, I don't dance."

"This really has nothing to do with me?" Light needed to make sure.

"Although, your reactions to my rejection were prideful to say the least," L smirked. "No, Light, my refusal has little to do with the fact that you were the one asking me."

"That makes me feel a little better," Light admitted sheepishly.

"I'm glad," L smiled at him.

"For the record, I wouldn't let them poke fun at you," Light told him.

"That's nice of you to say."

"You know," Light gave a short laugh. "You could have told me why you didn't want to go the first time I asked."

"No," L shook his head once. "I couldn't."

"Why not?" Light wondered.

"I had no way of knowing that you wouldn't laugh at me," L's gaze met the ground.

"You think I'd laugh at you for feeling insecure?" Light wasn't sure if he should be feeling pity for L or be offended for himself.

"You weren't exactly the image of charm when you asked me," L muttered.

"I'm sorry," Light said again.

"It's alright," L looked back up at him with a sad smile. "You should get going if you want to make it to the dance."

"I don't have a date," Light reminded him.

"Call one of the hundreds of our classmates that spend the entire school day fawning over you," L suggested. "I'm sure any of them would drop whatever they're doing to spend the night with you."

"You give me too much credit," Light shrugged the compliment off. "But I think I'd rather spend the night at home."

"I thought you wanted to go."

"I take all of nothing," Light told him. "I don't settle."

"If that's referring to my company," L crossed his arms.

"I'll leave you alone now," Light decided.

"Light—"

"The next time I try to ask you out it won't be to a dance, I promise," he assured L.

"Light—"

"I don't care that you're just going to reject me anyway," he declared. "No, that's a lie, I do care, but I'm going to keep trying. As I said—"

Light's next words were cut off by L grabbing him by the front of his shirt and pressing their lips together. For a moment Light was stunned, afraid that he would accidentally ruin the moment he could hardly believe was happening. This fear dissolved when L wrapped his arms around Light's shoulders. Light tangled his around L's waist and deepened the kiss.

"All or nothing," L practically giggled as he pulled away from Light's mouth.

"What?"

"If you reply to me with that word one more time I am going back inside," L pretended to huff.

"Sorry," Light laughed.

"I like you too," L ran his thumb over Light's cheek. "But, the next time you ask me out, don't do it in math class."

"Got it." Light leaned his forehead onto L's so that their lips were almost touching. "I won't."

* * *

 **This was inspired by Corliss's terrible math teacher who allows his students to ask each other out during class.**

 **Thanks for reading! Please review!**


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